This Life [Dean Winchester]

chapter five

OLIVIA KEPT QUIET about the little interaction between her and Dean in the bathroom last week. She assumed he would try to flirt around with her after that, like he used to when they were younger, but apparently he has matured a little, or is trying to at least.

"Where to now, boys?" Olivia asks as Sam and Dean pack up their bags. It's early in the morning now, Noah is still upstairs asleep. Bobby sits in his chair with a bottle in his hand. Olivia holds back from telling him off for this.

"We got a call from somebody," Dean says. "Chuck Shurley. He said it's an emergency, so..."

"Well, drive safe," Olivia says as the two of them leave Bobby's house.

"Aw, I'm not even out the door yet and you're already worrying," Dean teases. Olivia smiles a little tauntingly before pushing him gently the rest of the way out the door.

"See ya!" She says. After the impala pulls away from the house, she turns to see Bobby looking at her weird. "What?" She frowns.

Bobby shakes his head. "Feels like it's ten years ago, the way you two are making eyes at each other."

"We are not," Olivia laughs a little. "Relationships are for kids. I've grown up. I know better now."

"If you say so," Bobby huffs, turning back to his work indifferently. "I remember you two being crazy about each other before. I doubt it was easy to move on."

Olivia tenses her jaw. "Well, I did anyway. We're hunters. We can't have that."

Bobby leans back and looks at her. "That ain't what you used to say," he says. Olivia sighs a little in frustration. "You loved him, Olivia. Hell, maybe you still do."

"Are you still talking?" Olivia says bitterly. Bobby raises his hands and goes back to work.

Olivia goes upstairs to check on Noah.

The boy is sitting in an old recliner next to the window, looking outside with his chin in his hands. He looks distant.

"Noah?" Olivia pushes the rest of the into his room. His black hair is a mess on top of his little head. He needs a haircut. Then a shower. "What's wrong?"

"I wanna go home," he says quietly. Olivia sighs and closes his door.

"I know, buddy," she says, honestly sympathizing with her son. She hates that her son is sad here, but she needs to be here with Bobby, just a little longer. "We won't stay that much longer."

"That's what you keep saying," he says, sighing. Olivia frowns again.

"Noah," She says, sitting at the edge of his bed, he turns to face his mother. "Please, just give me another week here." Noah's shoulder's slump down in sadness. "I know you miss your friends. But these guys are my friends and they need me right now. Please stay another week with me, then we can go home? And I'll get you something really good for your birthday next month."

Noah smiles a little at this, like any kid naturally would. Olivia smiles back at him and ruffles his hair a little. "Now, why don't you come downstairs and let me cut this hair? You're going to start looking like Sam."

•••

Noah looked much better after he ate lunch and got cleaned up. He found some legos in the bottom of his backpack to play with. They pieces could be made into a little toy motorcycle if they were put together right. Noah has never been able to get it quite right, so he made that his goal for the afternoon.

While he played in the room he has been staying in, Olivia went downstairs to talk to Bobby.

"Hey Bobby," she says, walking into the room. He hums in greeting. "How's it going?"

"Alright, I guess," he says. "Always research to do, y'know?"

Olivia laughs. "Yeah."

"What about you?" Bobby asks, noticing the way she is acting. "You alright?"

"Well..." she begins. "Not exactly." Bobby leans back and looks expectantly at her. "Noah wants to go home. He misses his friends. He's lonely."

"Mmm."

"I told him we'd just stay another week," Olivia tells him. "Then we're going back home."

Bobby stays quiet a moment. "Well, it's your decision, Olivia."

"I don't want this to be like before," Olivia immediately starts defending herself. "I don't want you guys to get mad and I don't want to cause any trouble. But Noah's going crazy here, cooped up all the time—"

"I said it's your decision kid, you don't have to jump down my throat, for god's sake," Bobby says, holding a hand up to stop her ranting. "We ain't going to be mad if you leave. We knew it was coming. Hell, I was against you coming here in the first place. I didn't want to disrupt your life."

"You didn't," Olivia says. After a moment she says, "Well, you did. But that's okay. I missed you guys."

"We missed you too," Bobby says.

***

A/N: this is the slowest i've ever written a story im sorry 😩

spoiler- Ellen and Jo will be in the next chapter yay :)

ALSO CASTIEL MY BABY <3